4.11.15 California Lightning Sprints Results
Kingsburg, California’s Doug Nunes made his first appearance of the season with the California Lightning Sprint Car Series and he made it a successful one when he out dueled Bobby Michnowicz to win the 20-lap main event on the shores of the Pacific Ocean at the Ventura Raceway.
The 39-year old veteran racer nearly swept the show in his potent black A.R.P/Wilwood/Kirkey #2. He started things off by out qualifying the 15-car field with a lap of 11.790 on the 1/5 of a mile dirt oval. The only blemish on his record all night was a second place finish in his heat race.
For the main, Nunes started on the outside of the second row with Michnowicz, who won the first two main events of the year, starting directly in front of him. To say the main was wild and a crowd pleaser was an understatement and at times it looked more like “roller derby.”
As expected, Lomita based Michnowicz jumped into the lead on the start. Nunes made quick work of pole sitter Dan Hillberg of Placentia and set his sights on the two-time CLS champion. Michnowicz momentarily slowed in turn four on lap three and Nunes got into him. Both drivers managed to keep them straight and the race stayed green, but needless to say, the battle was on.
The leaders were into lapped traffic on lap five and it was in heavy lapped traffic three laps later that Nunes drove around the outside of Michnowicz and relieved him of the top spot, but things were just beginning to heat up. As they came off turn four on lap nine, Michnowicz dove to the inside as Nunes was lapping a car. It appeared that Michnowicz was going to take the lead, but Nunes got into him and knocked him into the infield. Michnowicz kept the hammer down on his side trip through the infield and re-entered the track off of turn two where there was more contact with Nunes.
About the time crowd sat back down, it appeared as though Nunes was going to race off for the win, but Michnowicz was not done yet. He got another shot when more heavy lapped traffic loomed in front of the leaders. Michnowicz had a chance with a couple laps to go when he appeared to trap Nunes in the lappers, but as he prepared to go around the outside for the lead, one of lappers slid up in front of him and that was all she wrote. Nunes knifed his way through rest of the lapped traffic and by the time the checkered came out, he had advanced his lead over Michnowicz to nearly a full straightaway. Michnowicz finished second with Upland’s Alex Grigoreas third and Hillberg fourth. The top four were the only cars on the lead lap. Fort Irwin’s Jeff Dyer was fifth one lap down.
The victory was the second in a row for Nunes in CLS competition at the Ventura Raceway. He also won on the track located on the beach last October 18.
Hard Charger in the main event was Nuevo’s Mike Kotlinski who finished ninth after starting 14th.
Michnowicz and Grigoreas won the two heat races.
Michnowicz now has a commanding 83 point lead in the championship standing over Grigoreas who jumped from fifth to second. Dyer is third with Hillberg and James Heling rounding out the top five.
The CLS gets this Saturday off before heading to the Bakersfield Speedway for the second time this year on April 25. The troupe will be back at Ventura on June 6.
Ventura Main (with starting positions) 1. Doug Nunes (4th), 2. Bobby Michnowicz (2nd), 3.Alex Grigoreas (3rd), 4. Dan Hillberg (1st), 5. Jeff Dyer (5th), 6. Chris Dickey (6th), 7. James Heling (9th), 8. Pat Kelley (12th), 9. Mike Kotlinski (14th), 10. Dale Gamer (8th), 11. Jon Robertson (10th), 12. James Squire III (11th), 13. Don Keener (13th), 14. Zach Zauss (7th)
2015 CLS Pont Standings
1. Bobby Michnowicz – Lomita – 662
2. Alex Grigoreas – Upland – 579
3. Jeff Dyer – Ft. Irwin – 564
4. Dan Hillberg – Placentia – 561
5. James Heling – San Bernardino – 541
6. Dale Gamer – Anaheim – 515
7. Jon Robertson – Torrance – 497
8. Pat Kelley – Chino – 479
9. Cori Andrews – Murrieta – 385
10. Corey Hoover – Corona – 365
If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the 2015 season, please call Bobby Michnowicz at: (310) 320-5569.
To keep up with the CLS on line, please visit the web site at: http://www.calightningsprints.com/index.html
2015 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule
March 7: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz
March 21: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile – Bobby Michnowicz (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
April 11: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile – Doug Nunes
April 25: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile
May 9: Santa Maria Speedway 1/4 Mile
May 23: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Salute To Indy)
June 6: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
June 20: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile (Firecracker)
July 18: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
August 1: Merced (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
August 15: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile
August 29: Santa Maria Speedway 1/4 Mile
September 19: Perris Auto Speedway 1/2 Mile
September 26: Bakersfield Speedway 1/3 Mile (Civil War CLS vs BCRA)
October 17: Ventura Raceway 1/5 Mile
November 21: Imperial Valley Raceway (El Centro) 1/4 Mile – TBD
CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS
1994 Tony Everhart, 1995 Gary Sexton, 1996 Rob Sczymczak, 1997 Jon Rahe, 1998 Chris Rahe, 1999 Brent Sexton, 2000 Greg Bragg, 2001 Greg Bragg, 2002 Greg Bragg, 2003 David Cardey, 2004 Keith Janca, 2005 Johnny Bates, 2006 Donny Gansen, 2007 Shane Rossen, 2008 Brent Sexton, 2009 Stuart Hielschier Sr., 2010 Jarrett Kramer, 2011 Tim Brown, 2012 Bobby Michnowicz, 2013 Stephen Limon